9-8-23 Lake Highlands
The 2-0 Scots slide up Greenville Avenue this Friday for the district 7-6A opener against 1-1 Lake Highlands. The Wildcats will be one of the serious challenges to the Scots in district play. Specifically, the Wildcats’ star running back, Deonte Dean, will be a major challenge for the Highland Park defense.
As a junior last season Dean gained 1,527 yards and ran for 21 touchdowns as the Wildcats rolled up a 8-3 record and were bi-district finalists. After two games this season Dean leads all area 6A rushers with 424 yards. He has crossed the goal line four times. He’s a difficult runner to bring down and could be the best running back the Scots face this season. He is currently ranked 13th in scoring among area 6A players.
The Wildcats feature a very good quarterback, Tripp Holley, who is 6-3, 210, and has a strong arm. He started all 11 games last season and looks strong so far this season. His favorite receivers are Harrison Day, Tymor Bisco and Leland Germany (who has the most University Park-sounding name I’ve ever heard).
Two weeks ago the Wildcats won their season opener, smacking Mesquite Poteet, 35-7. Lake Highlands picked up 299 yards rushing, including 240 from Dean. The scoring started when Chima Njoku picked up a fumble and rumbled 25 yards for a defensive touchdown. The LH defense forced five other turnovers, including two interceptions. In the air Holley picked up 63 yards on six-of-17 passing.
Last Friday night the Wildcats lost to Flower Mound, 41-21. The Jaguars built up a 34-7 halftime lead then held off the Wildcats to coast to the win. Dean ran for 184 yards and two touchdowns but it was not enough to stay close to the Jaguars, who are one of the area’s biggest surprise teams this season.
Highland Park and Lake Highlands are picked to finish first and second in district 7-6A, with Jesuit looking over their shoulders. Right now it looks like any of these three teams could beat the other two. The Rangers shocked the world last Friday when they concocted a 46-point second half barrage to beat Rockwall, 60-59. The Rangers drove 80 yards to score a touchdown with 23 seconds in the game to make the score 59-58. Should they tie the game with a PAT or go for two? They went for two and scored, taking their first lead of the night.
Lake Highlands plays Jesuit next weekend, so some of the district dust will be cleared after that battle.
After dismantling Flower Mound Marcus, 56-24, the Scots are coming off an important upset of Lewisville, 21-18, at Highlander Stadium last Friday. Lewisville ended the game with a 50-yard Hail Mary pass that was lofted up for all-state superstar Jayden Hardy win the game on the final play. But HP defenders Wes Giese, Wesley Winfield and Andrew Wade had a meeting in Hardy’s back pocket and the pass was knocked away from the Lewisville star. It was Wade, who looked like he took lessons from his HP volleyball classmates, who went high to viciously spike the ball to the ground so that no human could catch it.
Wade’s dramatic play personified the “Not in my house!” attitude that makes it so hard for visiting teams to win at Highlander Stadium.
Hopefully the Scots will save a little of that mojo for Wildcat-Ram Stadium this Friday.